Room heater



E. A. FARR ROOM HEATER I Feb. 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1948 INVENTOR.

fan n20 H. Ewe,

55...... a .T Q I v Feb. 21, 1950 R 2,498,157

ROOM HEATER Filed Jan. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fpW/mw /7. 57mg,

patented Feb. 21, 19 50 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RooM HEATER Edward A. Farr, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Noblitt-Sparks Industries, Inc,, Columbus, Ind

a corporation of Indiana 4 Claims. 1

My invention relates to electrical room heaters of the type embodying a resistance heating element and a fan for forcing air over it. Such articles, which are not broadly new with me, commonly embody-astructural frame for supporting the heating element and fan-driving motor, and a casing which encloses the frame, motor, fan, and heating element, such casing being provided in opposite vertical walls with air-inlet and air-outlet openings.

, It is the object of my invention to simplify and improve the construction of such articles and to lower their manufacturing cost. A further object of my invention is to provide a single sheetmetal stamping which will afford an adequately rigid support for the fan motor and the resistance heating element. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved form of casing or housing enclosing the frame and the working elements of the heater.

In carrying out my invention, I provide for the heater a sheet-metal base having an upturned peripheral flange. The frame, which is secured to such base, desirably comprises a single sheet-metal stamping bent to provide a back'wall, a top wall, and a front'wall, the front wall having an upper portion which is offset forwardly relative to the lower portion. Both walls are provided with air-passing openings, and the rear wall is additionally provided with means for aiding in the support of the fan motor. Tongues struck from the top wall and front wall of the I, frame andbent into appropriate form provide supports forthe resistancehea'ting element. The casing or housinghas air-passing openings in fits/front and rear walls, an open lower endwhich vFig. 4 is a fragmental rear elevation of the heater frame; Figs. 5 and 6 are isometric views showing the heater frame attached to the base; and. Fig. 7 is a fragmental horizontal section on the line 1-4 of Fig. 1.

The heater illustrated in the drawing comprises a generally rectangular base lflhaving an upwardly extending peripheral flange I'll, such base desirably being formed as a sheet-metal stamping. Supported on the base is a frame, conveniently also a sheet-metal stamping, having a back wall H, a topwall l2 and a front wall including an upper portion Hi and a lower portion l4, the latter being offset rearwardly relative to the upper portion 3 to provide a shelf 15. The lower ends of the rear wall II and of the lower portion M of the front wall are turned outwardly to form flanges I6 which rest upon and are secured to the base In in any convenient manner, as by spot-welding. Above the flanges l6, the side edges of the frame-walls are bent inwardly of the frame to form stiffening and reinforcing flanges H.

The upper portion 3 of the front wall of the frame is provided with a large rectangular airoutlet opening 20. Opposite the opening 20 in the front wall, the rear Wall II is provided with a centrally located motor-receiving opening 2| the vertical sides of which are formed to provide cars 22 which overlap the field-core 23 of an electric motor 24. Bolts 25 extending through the field-core 2'3 and the cars 22 secure the motor in place. The motor serves todrive a fan 26 which is mounted on the motor shaft opposite the opening 20 in the front wall of the frame.

In addition to the opening 2|, the rear wall ll of the frame is provided with a plurality of air-passing openings 28 through which air is drawn by the fan 26, such air being discharged forwardly through the large opening 20 in the upper portion l3 of the front wall. Sheet-metal wings 30 secured to the flanges H on the upper portion |3 of the front wall and extending rearwardly to the plane of. the fan 26 co-operate with the upper'fram'e-wall I2 and the shelf IE to define an air-passage and restrict lateral escape of air discharged from the fan 26 from the opening 20. For the purpose of stiffening the rear wall ll of the frame, the metal between the openings 2| and 28 may be displaced to provide stiffening beads 3|.

To provide a supportfor the electrical resistance heating element employed to heat the air discharged from the fan 26, I strike a series of tongues 33 from the top wall |2 of the frame and a second series of tongues 34 from the lower portion H of the front wall. The tongues 33 and 34 are bent to extend in generally co-planar relationship into the passage defined by the wings 30, the top wall 20, and the shelf i5; and their inner ends are formed as hooks to provide support for spools 35' of heat-resistant electrical insulating material. The tongues 34' are staggered with relation to the tongues 33 (see Fig. 3) and an electrical resistance heating element 36 is strung over the tongue-supported spools 35. Conveniently, the ends of the heating element 36 are connected respectively to binding posts 31 mounted on the shelf l5. To stiffen and strengthen the frame, and also to provide support for a switch 40 controlling the supply of current to the motor 24 and heating element 36, I may employ a switch-support 4|. Such sup port is desirably in the form of a sheet-metal stamping the upper end of which is secured, as by spot welding, to the lower surface of the shelf I and the lower end of which is bent to provide a horizontal flange 42 secured to the base In adjacent the front edge thereof. Conveniently, the

lower portion of the support 4| extends generally vertically, while the upper portion extends obliquely upwardly and rearwardly. The switch 40 may be mounted on the oblique upper portion of the support 4|, which is provided with a slot 43 for passage of the operating element 44 of the switch. The support may if desired be provided with stiffening beads 45, as shown in Fig. 5.

The housing or casing which encloses the frame comprises a pair of opposed side members 41 and an intermediate member 48 all desirably formed of sheet-metal. The intermediate member 48 hasrear, top,, and front walls, and its ends overlap exteriorly the flange Ill on the base -10, as shown in Fig. 2. The side edges of the member 48 are bent inwardly to form shallow flanges 49 (Fig. 7), while the side edges of the side members 41 are formed to fit against the inner faces of the member 48 and of the flanges 49. Rivets 50 extending through the overlapping edge portions of the side and intermediate members 4! and 48 serve to secure those three elements of the casing together.

As Will be clear from Fig. 2, the rear wall of the casing is provided with a plurality of airadmitting openings 52, desirably louvered. Such rear wall of the casing is spaced from the rear wall ll of the'frame to avoid restriction of inward air flow and also to provide room for wiring 53 extending from the motor 24. The front wall of the casing lies close to the front wall I3 of the frame, while its lower portion follows generally the form of the support 4|, being provided with an opening through which the operating element 44 of the switch 40 extends. The front wall of the casing-element 48 is provided with an opening aligned with the opening in the front wall of the frame, and may be provided around such opening with a reinforcing and stiffening bead 55. An open grill 56, secured in any convenient manner, extends across the aligned openings of the frame and casing to restrict access to the heating element 36. U-shaped guards 51 secured to the front wall of the casingelement 48 and extending in vertical planes at the sides of the opening therein prevent occlusion of such opening.

. To secure the casing in place on the base, the lower ends of the intermediate casing-element 48 are provided with openings which receive screw-s 59 extending into the base-flange Ill. By removing the screws 59, the entire casing can be lifted from the frame and base, thus exposing the heating element, the switch, and the fan motor for purposes of cleaning, inspection, or repair. As will be obvious from the drawings, the removal of the casing 4148 renders all working elements of the device readily accessible.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric heater, a base, a frame secured to and extending upwardly from said base, said frame being a sheet-metal stamping having parallel, spaced front and rear walls and a top wall, a motor mounted on said rear wall, a fan driven by said motor, said front wall having an airdischarge opening in alignment with said fan, heating-element supports on said frame, an electrical resistance heating element supported on said supports, and a casing supported on said base and enclosing said frame, said front wall including a vertical upper portion and a rearwardly offset vertical lower portion, said air-discharge opening being located in theupper wall portion and the two wall portions being joined by a generally horizontal shelf, and wings extending rearwardly from the front wall at the sides of the opening therein and co-operating with the top wall and shelf to confine laterally air discharged from said fan.

2. In an electric heater, a base, a frame secured to and extending upwardly from said base, said frame having parallel, spaced front and rear walls and a top wall, a motor mounted on said rear wall, a fan driven by said motor, said front wall having an air-discharge opening in alignment with said fan, a transverse row of tongues struck from said-top wall and bent downwardly, a second row of tongues struck from said front wall below the air-discharge opening therein and bent to extend upwardly, an electrical resistance heating element supported on said tongues, and a casing supported on said base and enclosing said frame.

3. In an electric heater, 2, base, a, front wall extending upwardly from said base, said wall having upper and lower vertical portions, the lower portion being off-set rearwardly relative to the upper portion and joined thereto by a generally horizontal shelf, said upper portion being provided with an air-discharge opening, a top wall extending rearwardly from the front wall above the discharge opening, a fan, a fan-driving motor, means for supporting said fan and motor with the fan in rear of and opposite the discharge opening, and wings extending rearwardly from the front wallat the sides of the opening therein and co-operating with the top wall and shelf to confine laterally air discharged from said fan.

4. In an electric heater, a base, a one-piece sheet-metal frame secured to and extending upwardly from said base, said frame having spaced front and rear walls and. atop. wall, a motor mounted on the rear wall, a fandriven by said motor, said front wall having an air-discharge opening in alignment with said fan, the-bottom of said front wall being secured to said base in rear of the front edge thereof, a switch support secured to and extending between a point on said front wall above said base and a pointonsaid base in advance of the bottom of the front wall, a resistance heating element disposed across said air-discharge opening, a switch mounted on said switch support for controlling the supply of current to said motor and heating element, anda casing removably secured to said base and enclosing the frame and switch support together with the parts carried thereby, said casing having an outlet opening aligned with the air discharge opening in the front wall of the frame. q

EDWARD A. FARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,440,018 Oetjen Apr. 20, 194s 

